Back in the fall of 2000 Wince was East Coast sales manager for the $94 million division of Dover Corp., which manufactures clippers, clips, and aluminum wire products for the food processing industry. Always willing to learn something new and take on a challenge, Wince's can-do attitude led to his selection by Tipper Tie to help implement a new CRM solution that would link its 16 field sales reps, eight field service technicians, and eight call center reps.

Wince led a six-person sales team and worked with IT manager Kendra Bender to streamline the newly implemented Siebel Systems Inc. solution, which includes call center and sales force CRM modules. Wince's team used the software for a month before making a presentation at Tipper Tie's annual sales meeting about their experience. Wince's enthusiasm helped convince the rest of the staff of the benefits of the system.

The implementation, which has since been deployed to nearly 70 people at Tipper Tie, has also received some acclaim. In March at the Gartner CRM Summit in Chicago, market researcher Gartner Inc. presented its 2002 CRM Excellence Award to Tipper Tie in the small-to-midsize-enterprise category, which recognizes CRM excellence at companies with revenue of up to $500 million and up to 1,000 employees.

While Wince is honored by the accolades, he continues to look for ways to improve the company's CRM system. "The CRM process grows every day," says Wince, who notes that the company is looking at adding more forecasting and analysis components to the system.

Last August Wince packed up his wife and three kids to leave his beloved Ohio behind for the company's headquarters in Apex, N.C., to start his new position as director of the company's eight-person customer services group.

The eight-year veteran of Tipper Tie is a self-described company man who says he never finished college because he was bored and could learn more by getting out in the world and getting his hands dirty. That hands-on work ethic, coupled with both sales and customer service experience, gives Wince a unique perspective.

"Right now job titles mean nothing to me," Wince says. "If a customer calls with a technical problem, I'll help if I can. If everyone in sales is busy, I'll chip in and take a call. Today I dealt with engineering and manufacturing calls. I'll go into the back and put machines together if I have to. I'll do whatever it takes to get the job done."

Wince expects the same 110 percent from his staff and coworkers, but says he tries to strike a balance between work and family life. "I expect people to work hard, but the job is not the only thing in life, and I wouldn't expect someone to give up a family thing for work."

The best advice he feels he gives to his staff is words he also lives by. "Do what you have to do today, because you never know what might happen tomorrow."